The 4th Annual Gift Guide & Giveaway!

Yo! I’m not going to say I can’t believe it’s time to do this again already because I say that every year, but I will say that I can’t believe Bake and Destroy is four years old! I started this blog when Teno was only a few months old. I was working as a nanny and taking care of him and with all the naps going on in my house I had a lot of down time. What I didn’t have, however, was much cash to go out and buy sweet treats with. Plus, I was the first of my friends to procreate and a lot of them weren’t equipped to handle a trip to the cupcake shop with me and a kid hanging off my boob. So I figured I’d keep in touch with friends and document my progress as a baker in a little blog I called Bake and Destroy.

Here we are four years later and I’m putting together another gift guide for the folks who make all this blogging worth while. I can’t thank you guys enough for the years of kind words, insightful comments and oh yeah, t-shirt sales that helped put me through my last year of college! Stick it out til the end of this post to see what kind of prizes I’m offering up for your years of faithful readership.

Last year I reorganized my gift guide into Gifts for the Baker, the Horror Fiend, For the Broad Who Has Everything, For the Vegan, For the Crafty Bitch and For the Tree Hugger. This year I decided to un-organize, and just give you highlights from all the best gifts I’ve given and received this year, and maybe one of two things I wouldn’t mind seeing under the Festivus pole come December. So here it is, the 2010 Bake and Destroy Holiday Gift Guide… in your FACE!

Finally, a brownie you can wash your ass with!

First up, something for your loved ones to spread all over their bodies – soaps, lip butters and perfumes from Soapopotamus. In the past year I’ve purchased items as universally loveable as Grape Drank lip balm and Sugar Wafer Cookie goats milk soap to acquired tastes like Italian Sausage lip butter (don’t panic, it’s just basil, star anise and black pepper.) Packaged adorably, these are great gifts for your foodie friends or anyone who might like to wash his or her armpits with a donut.

Another item I’ve happily given away this year is prints from Betty Turbo. She loves baked goods and pro-wrestling and that’s all you need to know. I gave a heartbroken friend the No Time for Crappy Thoughts print and I have no doubts it was the reason she was able to move on. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, but if someone doesn’t send me this Ric Flair vs The Giant Squid print I might scream. Like what you see? You can win a print from Betty Turbo in this very giveaway!

Speaking of wrestling, I’m sure those of you who grew up watching all formed your own tag teams like me and my friend Patty Saldana did . Maybe you even wore one of your mom’s extra-wide belts and pretended to be the world champ. Well, in my world I’m known as Sweet Tooth, and my finishing move is the Sugar Coma. I have my own championship belt and it’s this one right here from ContrivedtoCharm. (Not suitable for my fellow vegetarians, sorry!)

Know who’s awesome? Bill Murray. Spoiler alert: this appearance in Zombieland was one of the highlights of my year. Now I’m not particularly crafty, but I do know how to cross stitch. So imagine my excitement when I found out that I could cross stitch and expression of my love for Bill Murray thanks to Bombastitch! Speaking of the man with the adorably crooked face, you can wear his mug on your shirt thanks to Samzilla. If you’d like to win one of Bombastich’s awesome cross stitch kits stay tuned til the end of this post!

Side note: I own that Bill Murray shirt and once time when I wore it to work one of my co-workers laughed and said, “Nice shirt!” I’m like, “thanks.” And he goes, “Is it Hitler?” Yeah… because I own a Hitler shirt. And I wear it to work. And you think it’s awesome. Yeah…

On with the show! Just a few weeks back I found myself gift wrapping a 1/2 gummy bear and thinking to myself, “Oh man, Lisa is going to love this stupid thing.” I gave that same friend ice cream cone scented hand wipes and made a crude joke about what she could use them for. It involved a 1/2 lb gummy bear.

Here’s a little story about a present I bought myself… I’d had a crappy day at work and Tony was at the Tim & Eric tour with his friends. I started paging through Bust and saw an ad for BuyOlympia.com featuring hilarious “professional” animal prints I’d seen at the Renegade Craft Fair over the summer. After poking around the site, I stumbled upon a Team Natalie t-shirt. I had that thing in my cart so fast I almost didn’t even see the description. Apparently the money raised from shirt sales are going to help artist Natalie Cox battle a rare and aggressive form of cancer called Angiosarcoma. Everytime I wear my new shirt I will remember that me and Natalie Cox are awesome and cancer is a total asshole.

Speaking of buying yourself (and others) things that look cute and preform good deeds at the same time, you should check out the cute hair things my friend Roxanne makes in her shop, Original Cenz. Roxanne’s little boy is also battling cancer, and every purchase in her shop helps a really cool family keep it together as they fight the good fight. Soon enough you’ll have a bathroom full of bows like me. Some of my other favorites from from Lucky Cupcake Hairclips and Hell Razor. Want to win a big cupcake-themed hair flower from Hell Razor? Check out the end of this post, dude!

Earlier this year I sent Joy of Lucky Cupcake Hairclips and my friend Danielle both gift cards from Bake It Pretty. This is a guaranteed win if the person you’re buying for is remotely cool at all. From gourmet ingredients for candies and cakes to super cute lollipop molds to easy-peasy baking and decorating kits all the bakers on your list will find something they want at Bake It Pretty. And you can win one of two awesome prizes Bake It Pretty is offering up if you stick around til the end of this post!

Off the hook cuteness from Bake It Pretty

Here in Chicago we’re very lucky to have the Logan Square Kitchen, a LEED-certified shared-use kitchen that offers small confectionery businesses a commercial kitchen space in which to work. Why do I feel lucky to have this facility in my city? Because once every few months they hold a pastry market showcasing their artisans and other small pastry and candy shops and I get to go there and eat until I want to die. I wish I could fly one of you out to experience the Christmas market, but I’ll do the next best thing – I’ll send one of you a gift bag of treats from of my favorite vendors! See the end of this post for details!

Finally, instead of giving a gift that may or may not be appreciated this year, consider donating to a good cause in your loved ones honor. Instead of birthday gifts last year and this year alike I’ve asked my friends to donate to Grind for Life, my personal favorite non-profit. The generous donations my friends have made mean more to me than any tangible gift could ever mean. Although I would still like that Ric Flair print.

So here’s the part where you get gifts! (Maybe.)

Each day for 7 days (starting on 11.26.10) I will randomly choose one person who leaves a comment on my blog to win a prize below, beginning with prize #1 and ending with prize #7. To be fair to my donors, this giveaway is open to those with a US shipping address only.

But what to comment? That’s easy, tell me about the best gift you ever received. Was it a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, a hug from your mom, a miraculous recovery from flesh-eating bacteria? You tell me.

Thank you again for four years of love and support. The only way I can think of to explain how much you all mean to me is to upload a video of me singing Wind Beneath My Wings. And so, my holiday gift to you will be to not do that. Ever. Happy holidays, and good luck!

The Wiener’s Circle

Elise is takin home the Snowy Winter Baker’s Bootie from Bake It Pretty!

Amanda is looking fierce with her new cupcake hair flower from Hell Razor Art!

Tarran will have you in stitches with her cross-stitch kit from Bombastitch!

Plastic bags blow, and Carey can say it with pride because she owns 2 totes from reuseit!

Jax is shaking her booty because she won Classic Holiday Bootie from Bake It Pretty!

Liz is doing the happy dance because she won herself a print from Betty Turbo!

Jen H. is about to feel really good and really full because she won the box of Chicago amazingness thanks to various cookers and cakers!

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233 Comments

Oh man. Even though I don’t have a US postal address, I’m still going to post and say how much I LOVE the gift guides.. ten times better than any Etsy compilation that they’ve come up with.
I need to get the image of that gummy bear and scented wipes outta my head.

Funny story…two christmas’s ago I had a flesh eating bacteria in my mouth that was eating away at my gums and starting to eat away at my teeth, it’s gone now though…

The best gift I ever received…probably skis when I was around 10 or 11, I loved skiing. Or last year when I got myself a kitchenaid stand mixer…but those skis were great.

Kirsten Murphy
on November 25, 2010 at 6:23 am

The best Christmas present I ever got was a 7foot tall giraffe! I absolutely love it especially since it was the last present I got from my Mum before she died. It was a total surprise pressie & she was beside herself with excitement while I was struggling to unwrap the 7 layers of paper she’d wrapped it up in! Everytime I look at it, it brings back great memories of all the Christmases we were lucky enough to have with her
@Kemcaflipflops

Sarah
on November 25, 2010 at 6:26 am

For some reason the awesome gift that comes to mind right now is the rock tumbler I got when I was like, 8. Totally nerdy, right? I wanted it so bad and I was so excited to get it. I polished every damn pebble I could find for ages.

And congrats on 4 years!

Thea
on November 25, 2010 at 6:31 am

The best gift I ever received- my cat of 9 years, Q-Tip, ran away and my boyfriend at the time mailed me a letter from him saying that he’d stay in touch and missed me. t was super sweet and I still have it after 13 years.

Bunny
on November 25, 2010 at 6:59 am

Christmas 2008: A very-personalized autographed copy of Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore (my absolute favorite author) that reads: “Hey Bunny, Justin seems like a pretty nice guy, a bit of a fucktard, but I think you should probably marry him.” I also got a pretty sweet ring that year.

Best gift I ever received? Tickets to Wrestlemania 25, given to me by my then-girlfriend (now wife) for my birthday. Coincidentally, I proposed to her a month later. Tip fellas: If a girl buys you Wrestlemania (and is as excited, if not more so, about going than you are), she’s a keeper.

autumn rae
on November 25, 2010 at 7:14 am

my favorite gift…. well, i guess just knowing that on christmas morning i will wake up next to a very sweet, funny good looking man who loves me as much as i love him. happy holidays! xo

Kim
on November 25, 2010 at 7:17 am

Hm… the best gift ever? Probably my ipod classic that I got a few years ago. I’m addicted to music, who isn’t and it has saved me from having to listen or talk to creepy people on campus wanting money or to save my soul.

The best present I ever got is the Ugly Doll Mr. Kasoogi from my boyfriend.
Last Christmas, I was going to a college 2 hours away, so my boyfriend and I were doing the long distance thing. Well he knew I was having a hard time at school emotionally, so he bought me an Ugly Doll cause he knew I loved them. He said that every time I was sad I should hold my ugly doll real tight and imagine its him and just cry my eyes out. I’ve moved home and I still do it.

Erin
on November 25, 2010 at 7:48 am

The best gift I ever received was the small, metal hand-welded cupcake that my friend Colin made for me. It was a complete surprise, and was the same year that I had given him a “fake-cake” with Glass sprinkles. It was a good year for inedible bake good inspired gifts, and we’ve yet to top our presents for each other.

This has been the worst Thanksgiving ever.. I have a tiny family. Its just me and my husband, my mom, my grandma, my brother, his girlfriend and their baby. Well, last Saturday, I found out my brother and his girlfriend weren’t going to make it to our house for Thanksgiving because they “aready made plans.” (Mind you, they live in the next town over, and her family lives down the street from me… but whatever.) Then YESTERDAY my mom informs me that she and my grandma won’t be able to make it for Thanksgiving because, get this: her dog is sick. Stew on that for a minute. Her DOG is SICK. A sick dog is why they aren’t coming for Thanksgiving. So all this turkey, tofurkey, two kinds of potatoes, a smattering of casseroles, and numerous other salads, not to mention the desserts… all for nothing.

So, long story short, winning something awesome would make it suck just a bit less.

Rachel
on November 25, 2010 at 9:45 am

As hokey as it sounds, I have to say that the best gifts I’ve ever received were happy, healthy children. Other than that, in terms of an actual wrapped gift, it would have to be a necklace and earrings that DH gave me a few years ago for my birthday. Not because they’re beautiful (which they are) or anything unusual, but because they were a total surprise. I’d commented once that I’d loved them, and not only did he remember but he made the effort to go back to the store and get them for me, both of which are a big deal if you knew him!

This year, my husband and I decided to screw Christmas and disappear to Disneyland for the entire vacation. Now I don’t have to worry about dinner, presents, or in-laws – all I have to think about is ride I want to go on next!

Tanya
on November 25, 2010 at 10:10 am

The best gift that I ever received was a scrapbook that my mother made for me. It meant a lot because I knew that she put her time and creativity into. It’s something I will always cherish

Jen
on November 25, 2010 at 10:28 am

Thanks for the gift guide Natalie, it’s awesome! The best present I ever got was a set of household tools from my dad. At the time I was in college, and I thought WTF am I going to do with that? Then I got my own car and apartment, and those tools have come in handy more times than I can count!

Casey
on November 25, 2010 at 10:47 am

The best gift I ever received was a kayak. Seriously, when I was in middle school, my crazy mother bought my brother and I kayaks. In the middle of winter. I still have mine – I’ve used the thing to death and it reminds me of my mom who now lives on the other side of the country.

Those Betty Turbo prints? HYSTERICAL.

Mia
on November 25, 2010 at 10:49 am

Best gift I ever got was the news I don’t have to have major surgery 🙂

And on the non-cliche side, I really liked a bracelet my son saved up for and picked out himself.

Kel
on November 25, 2010 at 11:46 am

The best gift I ever received was my childhood puppy dog.

Angel
on November 25, 2010 at 12:19 pm

The best Christmas gift I ever received was my Kitchenaid mixer! If my place was on fire I’d totally run out clutching my mixer and yelling for my dog to follow!

The best gift I ever received was my Mr. T action figure. I was a child obsessed! Every afternoon when I was at my grandma’s I would put on all her necklaces and say, “I pity tha fool!”

Keya Millionie
on November 25, 2010 at 5:29 pm

The best gift I ever got? When I was basically homeless and my friends made me a great big Christmas dinner and even got me gifts (It made me cry).

heather...
on November 25, 2010 at 5:40 pm

The best gift ever? The custom build Barbie dream house I got when I was 4. My Dad built it, used left over carpet & tile & whatnot from the house, so the interior of Barbie’s house looked like ours.
I still have it, my daughter plays with it now.

K.Dingfelder
on November 25, 2010 at 5:45 pm

A wool peacoat! I’ve had it for going on 6 years now and just had to have it relined as a Birthday gifts this last year! One of those things I plan on having and using the rest of my life!!!

Lindsey
on November 25, 2010 at 6:00 pm

On my 21st birthday my (now) husband gave me a card with a long letter that talked a lot about time. Periodically the letter would tell me to ask him for another gift, all of which revolved around time, a watch, a clock, etc. Finally the letter said “I want to spend all my time with you”. Then he proposed to me. Best birthday. Ever!

Beth
on November 25, 2010 at 6:14 pm

Definitely the purple and white bmx bike with rad red bow on the hanebars!

Kate
on November 25, 2010 at 6:15 pm

This is cheesy, but I’d say that the best gift I’ve received lately is an awesome vet bringing my dog back from the brink of death after she was poisoned, and my amazing boyfriend who paid the bills and took care of us both while I had a total breakdown.

As far as something tangible, a hand painted Dia de Los Muertos mask, from that same awesome boyfriend.

Elise M T
on November 25, 2010 at 6:15 pm

The best present I have ever gotten was at Christmas last year. On December 23, 2008 I got divorced ( not the gift I’m talking about, though it was a good one). That holiday season was difficult needless to say. But last year I was able to spend Christmas with a man who truly loves me and my wonderful family. Together they helped me realize that life could start anew for me and that the holidays weren’t always going to be stained with the memory of what was, but instead they held the hope of what life could be. My boyfriend also gave me a recreation of the adventure book from the movie “Up” filled with pictures of us and empty pages to fill for our future together. These gifts may be cheesy but they changed my life and I’m happy to share the memory with you and the others who are equally obsessed with Bake and Destroy as I am.

Jillian M.
on November 25, 2010 at 6:30 pm

The best present I ever received was a trophy from my boyfriend because I had never won a trophy before… It was so thoughtful!

MamaC
on November 25, 2010 at 7:02 pm

It’s super rad that you’re doing this! Love the gift guides, and the contest is a slice of awesome on the side. The best gift I ever got was a combo gift from my mom. She gave me a photo album with a page of photos from every year of my life, and my daughter a little album of pictures from when I was exactly her age (which fascinates her). A lot of my happy childhood memories have been decimated by various paternal events so it’s really special to have a nice book of snapshots to look back on.

I can’t think off hand of the best present I ever got ; though I do still remember getting a casette copy of Appetite for Destruction in “87 or ’88 for my birthday, which survived until just a few years ago- I need to get it on cd now (don’t judge me:)

Callie
on November 25, 2010 at 7:25 pm

The best gift I ever received was Ella, my Golden Retriever dog wonder. I really don’t see her as a “gift,” per say, since she is in fact an sentient being — and an awesome one at that! — but she came into my life through the efforts of my mother at the holidays. She’s the best sidekick a lady could ask for. However, in the more material department, the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received as a mixer, a cookbook, and some bakeware, thus beginning my culinary creating.

This is awfully selfish and materialistic of me, but I’m gonna guess ahead of time that my best gift ever is gonna be the kitchen remodel I’m getting this year. Some goodies from you would make it just perfect! (Although I would give it up to Heather S. to make up for this week’s suck fest.)

Kate
on November 25, 2010 at 8:35 pm

One year my mom took me to get mym “mom” tattoo. It was the best gift because she hates tattoos and cries when I got my first. It was awesome that she finally started to accept them and be cool with it.

My most useful gift is my lovely pistachio artisan kitchen aid. I love her and use her daily!

alisha
on November 25, 2010 at 8:39 pm

The best gift I ever got was my kitchen aide mixer, I’ve wanted one for years and couldn’t afford it. Last year my dad suprised at chrfistmas with one. Its the first and only time I’ve cried over a gift.

Schmidty
on November 25, 2010 at 9:25 pm

One of the best gifts I’ve received was a laptop computer. And a pair of sea turtle boots.

Liz
on November 25, 2010 at 9:49 pm

Best gift I ever received was the advice my grandfather told me: Little girl, (he called me that no matter my age), love yourself, respect yourself. IF you don’t, noone else will.”

Best gift ever is a toss up between the kitchen aid stand mixer and a bass guitar!

Dee
on November 25, 2010 at 10:37 pm

Great list! I want it all, but I know some friends who will love it, too!

Lynne
on November 25, 2010 at 10:40 pm

The best gift came about 13 days early and weighed 7 lb. 10 oz. It was just you and me, kid, and sometimes it still is. Until the wheels come off, baby girl.

Jen
on November 26, 2010 at 4:12 am

One of the best gifts I ever received was an Easy Bake oven. I don’t remember exactly how old I was. I remember that I kept bugging my mom about it. I was already bitter that she wouldn’t get me the tupperware kids baking set. :0) Oh the tiny cookies…pushing with that long plastic wand and waiting for it on the other side.

Best gift I received for xmas HAS to be my bicycle! I was 25 but screamed like a 12 year old girl getting Barbie’s Dreamhouse AND pink corvette! I still have it (with a few upgrades) and ride at LEAST once a week with my baby. Best. Present. Ever.

kimberley
on November 26, 2010 at 5:10 am

my best gift was a pink bike, i looove it!
i wish someone gave me a pony, that would be the best gift ever!

Alise B
on November 26, 2010 at 5:39 am

1 of the very best gifts I ever received is my Kitchen Aid mixer. My husband gave it to me as a wedding present. People make jokes that he was motivated by his sweet tooth and 1950’s mentality. I say YUM!! My tummy & wrist say THANK YOU!!

Mary-Morgan
on November 26, 2010 at 6:02 am

hayyy! my favorite gift i’ve received would be my teddy bear Softy i got from my mommy and daddy when i was 5. he was my best friend. i still have him, he’s all raggedy but i just say he looks very loved, with one of his arms higher than the other because of the way i would hold him, his head has been sewn back on twice, and you can even see his eyes anymore. i plan on passing him on to my baby. <3 he'll be in the family for a very long time i hope.

Victoria
on November 26, 2010 at 7:16 am

My kiddo is absolutely the best gift that I have ever received. She is beyond awesome and I am so thankful to be able to hang with her everyday.

The best gift was from my parents about 10 years ago: earlier that year, my mother’s puppy chewed up my cherished doll, Baloney, She had been my mother’s doll…I carried her around all my life. My mother had Baloney repaired and wrapped her up for Christmas. I started crying. She sitting on top of my refrigerator…safe from dogs and little boys.

Megan O.
on November 26, 2010 at 9:59 am

One of the best material gifts I ever got was my first bicycle. It was seriously glorious. I clearly remember the incredible surprise, as I rubbed sleep out of my little five-year-old eyes and stepped into our living room to see what was under the tree. I jumped up and down for a good several minutes, unable to get out any real words, just squeaks. It was a Lion King bike, with handlebar streamers and butterflies in the spokes and some of the characters along the frame. I sat on while all the presents were open, and immediately afterward had my first lesson. That Lion King bike was the beginning of my illustrious biking career.

Congrats on four years of awesome-ness. Also, I can’t thank you enough for turning me on to Lucky Cupcake..I will be sure to check out some of the other items in your Holiday Gift Guide.

The best gift I ever received was last Christmas. My sister-in-law had taken a bunch of photos from my picnic-themed wedding. For our Christmas present, all three of my wife’s sisters got together to put together a super-sweet wedding album for us. Having lost my job in August (we got married in October) hiring professional photographers and a professional wedding album were things we had to cut, so it was ultra special.

Katelyn
on November 26, 2010 at 11:54 am

The best, most amazing-at-the-time I ever received was a life-sized Annie doll. I think I was 6 years old. She had the dress, the red hair, everything. My mom made her for me and even stitched a little red heart onto her dress (why I undressed her I don’t know). And pretty soon after that, I started wearing a red curly wig and insisting that everyone call me “Annie”. It was a good few years.

Elvia
on November 26, 2010 at 1:35 pm

The BEST gift I recieved was bitter-sweet. No pun intended. I got my divorce papers by certified mail on Christmas Eve. He was the guilty party, so my gift to myself was to have a better year ahead. : )

Heather Henningsen
on November 26, 2010 at 2:09 pm

The best gift I received was a donation in my fathers name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s. My dad had Parkinson’s for 5 years until he recently passed away. It was best gift i could ever ask for, my father was the world to me. I feel like the donation will hopefully help find a cure, and thats all i could ask for.

Nancy
on November 26, 2010 at 3:59 pm

The best gift I ever received was a microphone from my sister when I was seven years old. I grew up with a big dream of becoming a famous singer and would spend hours singing in my room, but never felt “complete” without a microphone in hand. That microphone allowed me to feel like a legit singer, to spend hours practicing my technique in my room, and most importantly, to record my songs. I’m now in my mid-20’s and a full-time employee in a typical business job…and admittedly, that microphone is the only object I still own that reminds me of my dream. I won’t stop singing or believing because of it! 🙂

Meg
on November 26, 2010 at 4:46 pm

Best Christmas present ever? The homemade dollhouse my grandparents made me. My first apartment wasn’t even as nice as this dollhouse! It had carpet and wallpaper and my grandmother painstakingly put together all the tiny little furniture for it, even down to the tiny wire handles.

Every now and then I wish I had it here, just so I could play with it again.

The best Christmas present I ever got was my Canon DSLR camera! I bought it for myself after saving for months and months. Now I love it!

Claire
on November 26, 2010 at 7:09 pm

My best present ever was probably the daisies my boyfriend brought me one night just for the hell of it. He thought I looked cute cooking in my cupcake provocateur apron (a close second birthday present from my mom!!) and came home with my favourite flowers <3

Vivienne
on November 27, 2010 at 6:25 am

This is epic, omg true awesomeness!

Vivienne
on November 27, 2010 at 6:29 am

Best present ever? My first kitchenaid stand mixer in 5th grade. It was a hand-me-down from grandma and it came with all her tasty recipes. Its still here today, although I use my heavy duty 5 qt for heavy recipes, Grandma is here in my heart when I bake. ;’)

Elizabeth
on November 27, 2010 at 6:31 am

My stand mixer–given a month early by my then-husband and our then-housemate so I could use it for all my Christmas baking–was pretty damned awesome. My netbook (omg laptop fits in my purse) was pretty great, too.

But I think the best gift I’ve ever gotten was the pillow. Post-divorce, I moved back in with my parents in my hometown, and I started looking up old friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen since high school. My best friend from high school is still in the area, and even though we’d had a falling out the year after we graduated, the first time we met up again after I came back, we hugged and had coffee and it was like nothing had happened. The years we hadn’t spoken were gone. A week before my birthday this year, he asked me what my favorite color was and proceeded to quilt a custom pillow sham for me, in my favorite color and bearing my initial. <3 it, and <3 having my friend back (which I suppose is the real gift here).

jonquil
on November 27, 2010 at 6:42 am

congrats on your blogs’ making it through the toddler years!
my favorite gift, to date, was 3 years ago when my daughter gave me a mirror/mobile, from indonesia, purple w/sun & moon. it’s special becuase i know how much time she took to pick out something she knew i would like.

Sara
on November 27, 2010 at 6:44 am

Aside from finding out I was prego with my gorgeous daughter 7 years ago on thanksgiving, the best Christmas present I ever recieved was a 3 foot tall glow in the dark statue of The Virgin Mary, with removable hands. You might be asking yourself, ‘why removable hands?’, well, one set has her hands praying, while the other set has one hand holding a dove,(also removeable), and the other outstretched. 🙂

Hollie
on November 27, 2010 at 6:48 am

The best gift I remember ever receiving was pretty recently. That could be because I have a terrible memory or because this person really has their finger on the pulse of what makes me tick. Ever since I read the book “Dolly Parton: My Life and Other Unfinished Business,” I’d been obsessing about going to Dollywood. Also, about forming a traveling mandolin band, but that’s neither here nor there.
One day I had had a crummy day at work and was totally down in the dumps. I opened my mailbox to find a giant envelope from New Orleans that contained a Dolly pin from Dollywood. She’s sitting on a stool playing guitar with her legs crossed, and her leg moves up and down. I squealed like a small child and that Dolly pin gets stuck on whatever I’m wearing at all times.

A few years ago my youngest son was in the hospital Christmas week. I spent all my days in the hospital and my husband spent all the nights there. So….come Christmas Eve I was by myself and needed to wrap gifts for 4 children, do the stockings, etc…
THE BEST GIFT EVER….my friends came over Christmas Eve and helped me wrap ALL the gifts and put them under the tree. That was wicked awesome and the best gift to me!!!!

Amber
on November 27, 2010 at 6:55 am

Best gift I ever got would have to be my Kitcken Aid. Don’t know how I ever lived without one 🙂

The bestest gift I ever received was a Cabbage Patch doll when I was 5. I really really wanted it and I remember being so overjoyed when I received it Christmas morning.

jinnifer
on November 27, 2010 at 7:08 am

happy holidays! i love the idea of giving to charity instead of the traditional gifts…our family is beginning this tradition this year so we don’t swap more candles and snuggies and…

the best gift i ever received was a half full bottle of perfume from a student who clearly could not afford a gift but felt compelled to leave something on my desk as the other students were…made my heart break…

Linze
on November 27, 2010 at 7:25 am

My best gift was my father recovering from a nasty staph infection that he got while at the famous Mayo Clinic and being able to come home for Thanksgiving this year. We almost lost him.

Mo
on November 27, 2010 at 7:28 am

The best gift I’ve ever received would be a ping pong table when I was a kid. It wasn’t so much the gift itself, but how it was presented. My parents told me that they bought a ping pong table for their friend and had me wrap the balls and paddles. On Christmas morning I opened them and told my parents there must’ve been some mistake when we tagged the gifts. The both smiled and pointed out the back door at my new ping pong table. I had been had by the masters once again 🙂

Christine
on November 27, 2010 at 8:21 am

The best present I ever got? Possibly the 6 string guitar I got when I was 8 and then jumped on about two months later, or the Luke Perry 90210 poster I got as a combo Christmas/Bday present in the 8th grade.

No, I think the best present I’ve received so far is a book about treehouses. Weird, yes. My not yet boyfriend and I were out to dinner in mid-November with a mutual friend & we went to the Barnes & Noble before seeing 2012 (bad). I was still trying to figure out if he was going to make it to bf status and while at the store I found an awesome book on custom treehouses, he came over & stood next to me and held my hand & looked at the book with me. Sad thing was at the time he lived 500 miles away & he was flying home the next morning & I wouldn’t see him till Jan 3rd – my bday. He must have gone to his local B&N the day after he got home b/c my belated Christmas present was the treehouse book. I keep it on my nightstand, right next to where he puts his glasses at night since now we live together. (btw – he totally made it to bf status)

My favorite gift was finding out (while watching “Flavor of Love”) I was pregnant after two years of trying. Said two year old is now plucking all the bulbs off the tree. Happy holidays!

Melissa
on November 27, 2010 at 8:45 am

I have been really lucky and have gotten some amazing gifts for Christmas but maybe my favorite was the Dr. Dreadful Food Lab when I was a freshman in college. My mom refuses to believe I have grown up and always buys me some kind of toy even though I’m grown up. She digs it and it’s her thing. I remember that Christmas morning everyone sat around and we made all the nasty shit that came with the kit and laughed while we ate it and tried to gross each other out. We didn’t know it then but I would be my grandmas last Christmas and I will always look back with love on the photo of her eating gummy brains out if a head.

Chelsy Stoker
on November 27, 2010 at 9:20 am

The best gift I’ve ever received would have to be a guitar when I was 14. My grandparents an mom went in on it together and had me convinced that it was a gian full length mirro under the tree. While opening the “mirror ” on Xmas morning, I was devising a plan, trying to figure out how much I could sell the mirror to my friend Elizabeth for, and how many more school lunches I would have to miss to have enough money for my guitar. When I finally opened the box, I realized that it was my very own Dean, just like what dimebag Darrell used to play. I was so stoked I could have peed myself! I still own the guitar to this day, and jam out on it occasionally, when I’m really missing pantera. 🙂

kim
on November 27, 2010 at 9:51 am

The best gift I ever got was this life size baby doll that looked real. It was expensive and I didnt think I would ever call it mine but santa delivered that year!

lauren
on November 27, 2010 at 5:36 pm

I’d have to say the best present I received was a Walkman (RIP) when I was in 4th grade. I remember putting the headphones on and jamming to Wilson Phillips. Good times…

So this might sound cheesy but just being able to breathe is the best gift. I have Cystic Fibrosis so breathing can be extremely challenging and something people take for granted. I feel incredibly lucky to not be anywhere near a lung transplant at this point in my life. However if we are talking actual and physical gifts then I would say plane tickets back home so we can actually be with family and I can finally meet that cute, and badass, nephew of mine!

chick_in
on November 27, 2010 at 8:26 pm

I’m not so hot for Christmas…my birthday is on December 21st so I grew up without many birthday celebrations. The best gift I ever received is one that has continued for many years now. When I moved from my Mom’s to my Dad’s home at the age of 16, my stepmom instituted a set of family rules to ensure that my birthday is celebrated properly, and separately from the holidays.
The past 22 birthdays have been phenomenal — no Christmas music or decorations, no gifts wrapped in holiday paper, and *no* combo birthday/Christmas presents!

Those “professional” animal portraits are AMAZING. And exactly what I tried to commission a friend of mine to do of my one kitty before she passed.

Anyways, I got two of my “greatest” gifts ever last year. One being a Patches stuffed toy from my mother (a sign that she somehow did not forget extremely important points in my childhood) and a fair trade Indian box locket from my Philosopher. The locket was possibly the greatest thing he could have done, as he had bought me a little typical one for our first Christmas together which over the years had been destroyed, and with that particular year being a difficult one for us, a little reminder complete with a scrolled note that spoke the exact words I needed was the greatest gift, and hope I could have ever recieved.

The best gift I have ever gotten was the first christmas I had with my boyfriend. I was single for a year and didn’t see any hope anybody would take a chance and give a single mother a time of day that had a 3-year-old child that was diagnosed with a certain case of autism(can you say baggage). He gave me a golden cupcake necklace and matching earrings from Betsey Johnson. I believe is the nicest thing I own and only wear it a few times since I believe I always have bad luck.

Audrey Rogers/MoxPowers
on November 28, 2010 at 9:04 am

I’d have to say the best gift I ever received was a combo: my mom went all out and got me a Jessie Steele (“Audrey” cupcake) apron paired with a set of Hello Kitty Pez dispensers and this little piece of art that was a comic about baking she had tweaked to make look like me- all packed in a reusable shopping bag. Just a rad combo and it makes me happy every time I’m in the kitchen with that apron on and happen to glance at the framed art.

Out of my 19 years of life…. I have to say the best gift I have ever recieved is my life. I know that sounds super cheesy, but its true. The fact I even get to bake for christmas or enjoy it is a big ups considering how many people don’t get to. I honestly think if I never recieved a christmas gift again itd be fine because I already have the greatest gifts of all. A mind, life and a vagina. Haha. Bake and Destroy!

Kayla Breed
on November 28, 2010 at 9:46 am

The best gift will be my husbands safe return from his 6 month deployment and the look on my daughters face when she sees him again!! Have I mentioned he’s coming home to a new dog? Mwhahaha

Jenna Rae
on November 28, 2010 at 9:58 am

The best gift I’ve ever received would be my family (I know, I’m lame). . Especially my cousins because they’re like awesome built in best friends, thanks aunts & uncles! Haha

Really, I guess the best gift I’ve ever received seriously would be a straight edge necklace my mom had made for me a few years ago.

Is that gummi bear on a stick hard candy or gummi. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, I love gummi stuff.

Ilene
on November 28, 2010 at 10:06 am

My favorite gift came from my boyfriend for my birthday this year. He knows how much I love Peter Pan, so he not only bought me a gorgeous Peter Pan-related necklace from etsy, he found a beautiful quote from the book and had me read it first before opening his gift. So sweet!

Jacq
on November 28, 2010 at 10:38 am

The best gift was probably the Original NES I got as a kid. 20 (or so) years later and I still can play with it. Close runner up is my Ghostbusters Proton pack toy (which I kept and my kiddo now plays with)

Wendy Smith
on November 28, 2010 at 10:41 am

The best gift I ever received was my daughter. They found my cancer because of my pregnancy with her, I owe my life to her. She is now almost 9, her b-day is December 21, and we always have the best things to celebrate at Xmas time in my house every year!

Best gift ever had to be a gigantic bear for my 29th birthday. He’s about 3 feet tall and has a look of thoughtful consternation on his face. His name is Boris, and i think he used to work in the post office.

Ashley
on November 28, 2010 at 12:37 pm

Best gift I’ve ever got had to be an anonymous donation to my paypal account that covered bills for me when I was struggling after losing my job. 🙂

The best gifts I received would have to be a set of gifts my best friend gave me. For Christmas last year she gave me a gift bag full of trinkets and charms to use in the jewelry I make and then she gave me two mix cd’s of songs that we used to jam out to, one for high school, and the other for college. They’re so cheesy, and I would never play them around someone else, but I secretly love hearing all the songs again!

megs
on November 28, 2010 at 4:26 pm

the best gift I ever received was a beautiful coat I had seen in September, in Italy, on a vacation with my then-boyfriend (now-husband). I had tried it on, it was gorgeous, it fit, I had no money. Fast forward to Christmas Day: it was under the tree. I had completely, completely forgotten about it, but he’d had his mom, who lived in the town we were in, go back and get it and send it to him! It was the best gift because it was something I had clearly wanted, but had put so totally out of my mind it was a surprise!

My favorite gift was a sewing machine i was wanting sooo bad and we didnt have the money for it. And i totally didnt think about it and christmas eve we were opening presents with my in-laws and out walks my husband with the sewing machine in his hands and a smile on his face. I busted into tears LOL i didnt think anyone would remember..

Miss Heather
on November 28, 2010 at 4:54 pm

The best gift I ever received was a new fridge and dinner. It was my first time making a holiday dinner for my family and friends. My fridge decided to die Christmas Eve morning while I was at work. All of my food was spoiled by the time I got home. But all my beautiful lovelies in my life got together to save the day and surprised me with a new fridge and dinner. The best dinner to date!

Rose
on November 28, 2010 at 4:55 pm

I absolutely LOVE your blog!

The best gift I have received were two pairs of socks last year. My son (then 3) had been out with my mom and insisted on buying me a Christmas present. It was the first gift he had picked out for me!

Definitely the best gift I have ever received is the hand-knit afghan my grandmother made for me. It took her a few years to make it, because her arthritis makes it hard for her to knit some days, but it’s gorgeous and warm and I think of her every single time I use it.

jasmine
on November 28, 2010 at 5:31 pm

I think that the best gift i’ve ever gotten was meeting my best friend. we just celebrated ten years of knowing each other a few months ago and he makes me infinitely happier than most anything else. also, he blows glass, so every time he comes into town, he gives me a new blown pint glass or whiskey glass or something, made just for me. love!

also, you are rad.

Sara Beth
on November 28, 2010 at 5:45 pm

best gift ever? MY SEWING MACHINE!

Emily F.
on November 28, 2010 at 5:51 pm

The best gift was when my fiancé (then boyfriend) told me he was moving to Cali to be with me! I know… Cheesy!…but it really was pretty kickass!

I love love your site!! and I WANT a giant gummi bear on a stick thanks! its a dream come true!

Emily
on November 28, 2010 at 6:21 pm

You ALWAYS have the best gift guides!

Best gift ever? My kitchenaid mixer!

Jen Cleveland
on November 28, 2010 at 6:22 pm

Even though I did get a kitchen aid as a gift, it pales to the memory of the following;

Right after I graduated from high school, my first “real” boyfriend dumped me and my kitty got squished in the street. My ass was seriously draggin’. Teen Angst.

I went out of town to visit my sister, my parents followed a few days later. My sister’s trollop of a cat, Freebie, had had kittens AGAIN and I really wanted one. I asked my Dad. He said ,”no”. I whined. He said ,”no.” I pouted. “No.” I threw a hissy fit. He still said ,”no.” (I should point out that my Dad was a serious curmudgeon.)

I left later that evening. My parents got home a few hours later. My Dad came in the door and thrust a little, greasy, brown paper lunch sack at me and said ,”I got you something on the way home. Hopefully now you’ll stop your bitchin’ and mopin’. (I said he was a curmudgeon.)

Inside the bag was a teeny, grey and white tabby kitten. Not just any kitten, but the one from Freebie’s litter that I wanted most of all. I learned that day that my Dad was really a big softie and that he would do anything to make his little girl smile. (My dad was 5.5 and I am 6 foot.) I had that kitty for 20 years. Thanks for letting me tell my story. And smile some. And cry a little.

Love your website.

mel b
on November 28, 2010 at 7:16 pm

picture it- long island 2009- boyfriend at the time crafted me my own pair of hello kitty high top chucks… awesomeness! (the sneakers not the boy anymore)

Anita Jane
on November 28, 2010 at 7:46 pm

I am laughing my ass off at the print of Ric Flair and the giant squid. I think I need to get that for a friend.Don’t even get me started on the other sellers – so many cool things, so little time/money.

Val
on November 28, 2010 at 7:54 pm

The best gift I ever got was a surprise getaway for the weekend to St. Joes, Michigan. Super romantic!!

Liz
on November 28, 2010 at 9:15 pm

The best birthday gift ever was my older sister coming home from the hospital on my 18th birthday after being in a coma for 3 weeks and a rehab hospital for a month. We have always been really close, and this was the best gift I could have ever gotten.

I love your choices this year! I have found some new faves for gift-giving, for sure! The Logjammin print from BettyTurbo is so amazingly hilarious. Quite a tribute to The Big Lebowski, don’t you think? And the Black Betty print? Black Betty is a song that I share with my boyfriend. We sing it together all the time!

I really like to give reusable snack bags as gifts. I get them on etsy from greenstreetbags. Maybe reuseit sells something similar.

As lame and cleshea as this sounds, the most amazing gift I have ever got has been my daughters! After losing two little boys due to complications over half way through my pregnancies, I was told they did not think I would ever be able to have children and my husband and I should stop trying… I didn’t! And now we have two amazing little girls and they are truly the best gift I could have ever received.

Megan
on November 29, 2010 at 6:39 am

Oooh, Christmas age 5, I got my first Barbie. She had clear sparkly shoes (which were immediately lost in the shag carpet) and a boa, and I thought she was awesome.

Erin
on November 29, 2010 at 6:57 am

Best Christmas present: Hmmmm…Probably the handmade blanket from my mom when I was 10. I also really loved my music box from when I was 4.

Jen
on November 29, 2010 at 7:03 am

Best gift I ever received was getting my husband back, in one piece, from a year long stint in Iraq this past spring. Oh and a little bonus gift has been the “cupcake in the oven”, so to speak…. due to arrive almost exactly a year after Nathan returned.

Jen
on November 29, 2010 at 9:45 am

The best gift I ever receved was from my dad. He had just come back from being overseas. He gave me this battery operated bear that played a snare drum from Korea. The bear was bright orange..almost flourescent. It was rad. I loved that thing. I felt like the coolest kid. lol

Amie
on November 29, 2010 at 10:20 am

Who wouldn’t love getting a metal lunchbox full of pretties. Love the cupcake goodies.

amelia
on November 29, 2010 at 10:21 am

this is the best gift guide EVER! also, i fucking love betty turbo!

annabelle
on November 29, 2010 at 10:22 am

the best gift I’ve received in many years is the flaming cupcake tattoo on my neck. my friend Vinnie is a tattoo artist and it was a birthday present from him a few years ago. I love it!!

Tanya O.
on November 29, 2010 at 10:24 am

Best gift? A 15th century Amber, Wolf insignia ring!

Nancy
on November 29, 2010 at 10:24 am

It may look like cheating, but I swear I was going to say my KitchenAid Stand Mixer was the best gift I’ve ever gotten. I’ll go to the second best then, a Capresso Grind and Brew coffee maker. Thanks for the great list, the suggestions and the awesome giveaway.

Fav gift…. a quilt my friend made, it was totally me in color/style… no stuffy grandma to be seen 🙂

Amy
on November 29, 2010 at 10:29 am

My she-ra crystal castle. I loved that thing!

Heathercore
on November 29, 2010 at 10:30 am

The greatest gift I’ve ever received is my Grandma K’s wedding ring. She passed away last October – right around my birthday. She left me her wedding ring – I wear it everyday. It reminds me off all of the happy times we had together. All of her advice. Her jokes. It’s just a wonderful symbol to carry with me. besides the ring, I have my grandparents’ Polish last name tattooed on my leg.

-h

Zandra Ellis
on November 29, 2010 at 10:33 am

The coolest Christmas I ever had was when I was like 4/5 and my sister was 6/7. It was the year of the Cabbage Patch craze in the 80s. My sister and I wanted one so badly and was unsure if it was going to happen. I remember waking up that morning and we ran to the tree and began looking tearing into our gifts. When we were done, we were happy, but was still determined to find a cabbage patch. Hidden deep under the huge tree were two presents. My sister and I looked at each other and tore into the wrappers with paper flying everywhere. And there they were. Two perfect cabbage patch dolls. We were freaking out and so happy. Then we hear my Dad, who was a fireman, come down the hall calling “Merry Christmas!” and what did he have in his hands? TWO CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS! Yes. He was able to score two without telling my Mom because he was unsure if she was able to get two. So yes, we had 2 Cabbage Patch Dolls. I will never forget that awesome Christmas as long as I live. 🙂

Serouisly the best gift I ever got was the entire Get-long Gang set, complete with all the characters AND Caboose clubhouse! Dottie Dog was my favorite, I aso got a larger stuffed version of her with rollerskates that really skated!

the best gift i ever got was a robot jacket from my hubs…and when you zip it up the robots hold hands 🙂 ended up being a tattoo for us

Erin Lusk - Ripperger
on November 29, 2010 at 10:43 am

I would have to say my best/most treasured gift i have ever gotten would have to be a necklace from my daughter. She was 7 at the time and spent about 4 days picking out just the right beads for my necklace. I remember she remade it once because i had gotten my hair color changed from purple to green and she wanted the necklace to match my hair. She is 10 now and i still wear it almost every day.

My parents got me a gift certificate to Circuit City (when it was still around!) to get a CD player and replace the speakers in my crappy 94 Toyota Tercel when I was a senior in high school. It was really thoughtful, they came up with the idea totally on their own, and they knew how important music was to me! I was so shocked I think I had to scoop my jaw up off the floor with both hands.

Mabel Tavarez
on November 29, 2010 at 10:57 am

I’d have to say the best gift I ever got was about 6 years ago. My dog had passed away after being with me for 12 years, and I was completely distraught. So one day I come home, and my husband had gotten me a beagle puppy with a big red bow. She’s still the best dog and present ever!

christmas in my family generally involves regifts from my aunt(who leaves the original tags on as well) and the clothing from my grandmother that i picked out with her months prior,but she kept hidden post purchase.probably the most notable was the set of scented fill-in essential oils given to me by my cousin.she isn’t even blood related,nor do i see her often,but. this gift was just hat. i wanted,since i only like naturally inclined scents.some of them are too floral,so i have had fun mixing the oils.at least i smelled good that christmas!

Lyn Adolfo
on November 29, 2010 at 11:15 am

One of the best Christmas gifts shared might have been the year Sammy and I escaped the mayhem and flew off to New York City for the week! It was a great vacation of shopping and museum visiting and lots and lots of eating. Even though there was mayhem in the Big Apple it was an awesome gift to give ourselves!

I’m positive this year will be the best of all… instead of buying tons of silly toys we’re adopting a family in need and helping a single dad give his 3 little girls the best Christmas he can! It feels so much better to help others this year! And to see my kids feel so good about giving to others i think i’ve got the best gift of all.

Rae S.
on November 29, 2010 at 11:21 am

Getting a week off from work is my favorite reliable gift over the holiday. Sure I have to go into work at least one day, but I don’t mind being here by myself. It’s certainly better than being around the coworker who doesn’t use any form of deodorant…

the best gift i’ve ever received was my (now 15-year-old) kitty. he’s helped me get through so many tough things without even knowing it. he’s also hilarious because he hates just about everyone except for my immediate family &tries to be super ferocious by batting at people with his claw-less furry grinch paws. i love him! (can you tell i’m a crazy cat lady?)

a second runner-up would be the pink motorcycle helmet that my boyfriend bought for me after months &months of pleading on my end. he had said no pink helmets were allowed on his bike, so when i got it, it meant a lot, knowing he’d sacrifice his humility just so i could have a sweet girly helmet. sidenote: i had totally mistaken the hints he gave me about this present for an engagement ring, but in the end, it meant almost as much to me! daww, cheesy, right? =)

dude!! it’s been a year! i actually started reading your blog last year right around the holidays and remember the 2009 gift guide being awesome, but this one is EPIC! love it! i’ve been salivating over the Betty Turbo prints all morning. oh, and making Satusuma marmalade.

anywho, best gift EVER was 2 years ago when my girlfriend got me the perfect necklace. i had been baking for a while and had become obsessed, i wanted to open my own cupcake business. the necklace was a charm of a kitchenaid stand mixer with i card that said, “i believe in you. now go GET IT!” now i live in portland, i just opened my own cupcake truck, and i wear the necklace pretty much everyday!

Emily
on November 29, 2010 at 4:51 pm

That Betty Turbo print is SO great.

Best gift I ever got was probably two puppies when I was younger. Who doesn’t dream of a Christmas where you get a puppy?

the best gift I have ever received was from my now boyfriend. We just starting dating and for xmas he stood in line to buy me a toy my favorite artist came out with and he even had it specially signed. On top of that he bought me some 45s that he knew I was in search for.

Bethany
on November 29, 2010 at 5:24 pm

Today is my birthday! The best thing I got was a big, open mouthed, dimpled smile from my 3 month old. Sappy. Corny. True!
Off to make birthday cupcakes!

My grandma gave me a KitchenAid mixer last year. Most surprised I’ve been by a gift ever! And it’s used so often 🙂

XNicoleX
on November 29, 2010 at 8:04 pm

Honestly my kitchen aide professional mixer last year was a life changing experience! I baker so much its crazy. I’m a manager for amazon.com and on the long nights myself and the other managers work there is nothing that makes me happier than how stoked they get when i bring in treats! Let me when the items from bake it pretty and it will make thier day!

Lisa S
on November 29, 2010 at 8:25 pm

Ghetto blaster! My mother was anti-rock music, thinking that it was corruption. (I grew up in the Tipper Gore era). But there it was on christmas morning..right from Santa himself 🙂

Best Gift? Hmm. That would be the strength to cope and survive through unthinkable times. Because of that strength, I’ve been rewarded with happiness and awesome people in my life.

Best material gift? One of my BFF’s got me a Shun Ken Onion Chef’s Knife a few years ago. It’s soooo pretty!

Off Topic:
You guys are SO lucky to have the Logan Square Kitchen! I live in Tampa and having been looking for something like that. Totally jealous of Chicagoans (for that, and many other reasons)!

My boyfriend has family there and we visit now and then. When do they do these markets?

Stephanie
on November 29, 2010 at 9:16 pm

The best gift I received was the locket my grandma gave my mom to wear on her wedding day. She’s passed it on to me and I wear it all the time.

Toni
on November 29, 2010 at 10:32 pm

The best gift I ever got was a Mighty Mouse pillow from my sister when I was 4. I loved that thing. I took it with me to preschool and slept on it every day at naptime. Somehow when I graduated preschool, the pillow got left behind along with a quilt jacket my grandma made me. I got the jacket back, but not the pillow. It took me a long time to get over that.

Well, you know there’s the big things like salvation, family, kids….
but material gifts?
When I was 9 years old my parents bought me a new saddle with these amazing hot pink stirrups for my pony. That was the best Christmas ever. I rocked those stirrups!!

Andy S.
on November 30, 2010 at 9:41 am

My favorite gift was an inflatable Batman bop bag. It bounced back every time I punched it, though, so I took him down with a fork to the midsection.

Lisa J.
on November 30, 2010 at 9:51 am

What a gift list!

the best gift ever? A trip to a spa and hot wrap… I had never been before and it made for a delightful day in the midst of a snowy Chicago winter.

Errol
on November 30, 2010 at 12:44 pm

The best gift ive ever got, is my Frankenstein shirt. I find excuses to wear it everyday.

randi
on November 30, 2010 at 1:27 pm

my pink sewing machine! my husband got it for me last year after months of me begging for it because it is the only pink sewing machine i have ever seen! and like most thing i own, it must either be pink, have hello kitty, or a combination of both!

Jordan
on November 30, 2010 at 3:17 pm

It may not be nearly as exciting as some of these other gifts, but one of the best gifts I ever got was from my mom. It was a hand mixer, a set of three mixing bowls and a cooling rack. I absolutely LOVED it! Sometimes it’s not all the fancy big presents that are the most memorable!

Marci
on November 30, 2010 at 3:18 pm

The best gift I ever received is that of staying home to raise my children. My husband started his own business (in the summer, he is a teacher), so that we can get by and I can stay home. I am reminded of this precious gift everyday. 🙂

The best gift I ever received was two part. First, the first guitar I ever got my grubby mitts on was from Mom and Dad for Xmas when I was 11. Several years later, we were all sitting around, watching Pulp Fiction on Xmas, (Hey, we’re not known for going with the grain) and reminiscing. And out of the blue my Mom told me they had just watched a video of me playing a recent show, and she teared up and told me how much it was totally worth getting me that guitar. If nothing else, she was so happy that she made my day (life really) and that hearing me play was one of the things she was most proud of me for. And seeing my dad agree and get a lil teary too, was beyond unexpected. To know that I could do anything the give that wonderful woman any joy or happiness… well, it’s more than words will ever express.

Katie
on November 30, 2010 at 3:23 pm

Funnily enough, the best gift I’ve ever received is indeed a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Jillian
on November 30, 2010 at 3:32 pm

As a child I was fascinated with hot air balloons. I asked many times to go on a ride in one, but my family struggled financially and a ticket for a balloon ride was beyond their means. This past year, on my 26th birthday, my mother handed over a large box that was surprisingly light. I opened the lid and a bunch of balloons escaped and began floating to the ceiling. attached to the balloon strings was a tiny basket carrying a ticket for a hot air balloon ride. It was a scene from a movie and I was excited as I would have been when I was 8 years old.

Danae Thompson-Wooldridge
on November 30, 2010 at 3:33 pm

Best Gift EVER of ALL TIMES EVEN…. would have to be a trip to Mexico when my Grandparents were still around. All our shoes were stolen from the balcony, we lit off fireworks on the beach and my little Cousin was sick all weekend from sneaking Corona’s and smoking a Cuban Cigar!

Traci
on November 30, 2010 at 3:40 pm

ever go into LUSH? oh i love that place! that being said, one of the best gifts i’ve ever received was two years ago on my birthday when i guessed the weight of a ton of soap that was a display in the store in the shape of Cleveland. the winner got all of the soap. so not only did i enjoy splurging and birthday shopping with my friends but a week later had to ask those same friends to help me carry almost 50 lbs. of soap and goodies out of the store! I wrapped it all up and gave most of it away and still took awesome bubble baths for over a year.

The best gift ever… hands down my mini Martin Guitar. This thing is itty bitty, and rockin! My fabulous boyfriend and his parents pitched in to get it for me, and I cried like a little baby just outta the womb. It was the greatest thing ever and I play it almost everyday. Rock on!

This is amazing, which doesn’t surprise me haha thanks though. I really enjoy this blog, a lot!! The best gift I’ve ever received was my 1963 Rambler, that baby is beautiful, my loving boyfriend helped me purchase it and I don’t think I could ever be that excited about a car again. I would literally love to win any of these prizes 😀

The best gift I ever got for Xmas was a red kitchenaid stand mixer, 3 yrs ago. My bf got it for me because I was too weak from congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy to bake with my own hands! So, he got the stand mixer to do the stirring for me! <3

Vinny
on November 30, 2010 at 5:11 pm

The best gift I ever got was MY KIDS!!

They’re amazing and I love baking for my oldest and will love baking for my youngest!!

Chelsea
on November 30, 2010 at 5:29 pm

Wow, I’ve gotten so many wonderful gifts through the years. One that really sticks out for me is the book “The Giving Tree.” I got it in high school from my best friend. Twenty years later, we’re still best buds. So that’s sort of like two gifts in one.

Michelle Hooper
on November 30, 2010 at 5:37 pm

The best gift I ever got…hmmmm…probably an easy bake oven when I was about 8 or 9, the old school style, in 1978 or so!! I wanted one so bad so I could ‘bake’ like my Mom did every weekend!! So…I got one…and every weekend after she did our household baking, which she now included me, she would easy bake with me! I thought that was so cool to have my Mom play Kitchen & cook with me…Years later I got my oldest daughter an easy bake…and she just got her oldest daughter her 1st easy bake!! And so the tradition lives on….
~Michelle

Melissa D
on November 30, 2010 at 6:10 pm

I love coming to your blog and interacting with the links and reading your hilarious insight about life. Thanks for bringing joy into the world of baking among other things! Hope you have a wondrous Holiday!

lilmsdipandspin
on November 30, 2010 at 6:39 pm

I recently found this site and I have shared it with all of my girlfriends, I am a new fan of Bake & Destroy and now they are too! I F*@#ing love this site! Thank you =]

My bestest/favortiest gift ever? My husband bought “Bertha” for me-just because. Who/what is Bertha? Bertha is my BFF-my bright red Kitchen Aid Pro Series Stand Mixer. I lusted after her for almost ten years before I finally got her. To get her just because was the best gift ever.

Lindsay
on December 1, 2010 at 5:53 am

I love your gift guide! Wish I could buy it all for my friends AND for myself but I’m on a tight budget this year!

as cliche as it may sound, the majority of my most favorite gifts are the memories & traditions I’ve made with my family. We are all spread out now & Christmas is the only time we get to see each other & spend time together! I love decorating for Christmas, & being with them! I also love that they will try any of my baking creations!

two other gifts that mean a lot to me though are: the iPod that I got from my parents about 4 years ago. I am in love with music, music has saved my life. I don’t go anywhere without my iPod. & the second gift is a keychain that my ex boyfriend got me from Tiffany about 3-4 years ago. He had my name put on it & he is a great man, even though we didn’t work out. He got me through so many struggles, & taught me to love myself.

My kitchen self would have to say my best gift was the kitchenaid food processor my dad gave me a few years ago – but Id be lying. The best gift was last year, my bf and I were together at xmas for the first time (my dad looooves us together) and we both got great gifts. I an EZ Bake Oven (in teal) and my contractor BF a My First Tool Kit from Fisher Price. It was great. Ive never seen such a big smile on his face. My dad was pleased at his gift giving choices and it made the whole day fun as my adult cousins chased each other around with a plastic hammer smacking one another. That’s right – we keep it classy. The kazoo’s were pretty awesome that year too.

Amber
on December 1, 2010 at 6:30 am

The best gift I ever got was a trip to the spa. Spent the whole day getting pampered. Ahhhh

Congrats on your blogoversary! I love the blog, and your tweets, and how you’re so generous with your time and your donations to causes 🙂

My favorite gift was my KitchenAid stand mixer (Betty) that i got for my birthday last year. I’d lusted after her for quite a while, and when my dad showed up with a HUGE box in tow, I jumped up and down and screamed like a little girl. Even my husband was a bit taken aback by how thrilled I was by it!

Mel
on December 1, 2010 at 6:41 am

The best gift anyone has ever given me is definitely my kitchen aid mixer. It’s bright tangerine and sometimes I just look over at it and remember how awesome the lovely people who gave it to me are. I am originally from the South and I now live in the Northeast so homesickness is common for me. A few years ago for my birthday I was surprised by a visit from my Mama, seeing my new home in a city for the first time. We went to a friends house to visit and while I was on the roof deck showing my Mama the skyline my awesome friends set up a surprise for me, all of the foods I love to eat from back home; biscuits, infused sweet tea, anything Southern they could think of, and in the middle was a big wrapped box with my bright orange kitchen aid mixer in it. Ever since then I have tried to use that mixer to make those awesome people in my life an endless supply of treats.

HelloKate
on December 1, 2010 at 6:45 am

I’ve got two –

Growing up, my father would get me a stuffed bear for Christmas every year. Six years ago, he passed away in November, but had made sure to buy me a bear, even though he was very ill. My mom waited and gave it to me on Christmas, and it was a little bit like he was still there with us. (insert joke about the holidays being more BEARable that year…)

The second one was from when i was really small. I couldn’t have been more than 4. So badly, I wanted the record “Take on Me” by Aha. Man that song got me going! Every day leading up to Christmas, I begged and begged, certain that Santa did not have the extensive musical knowledge that I did. But Christmas Eve, my cousin Tom tucked me in and made sure to leave the record next to my pillow, so it would be the first thing I saw when I woke up the next morning. My musical taste has slightly improved since then, but this just shows what a huge part of my life its always been.

shaz
on December 1, 2010 at 8:50 am

Best Christmas present I ever received was getting my fiance visa on Chirstma eve in London and moving to the states to be able to marry the love of my life yeah slushy I know but it was the best thing ever

Rebecca
on December 1, 2010 at 10:58 am

When I was 14 my Dad gave me the best & most long-lived gift…he married my step-mom. She has been amazingly supportive, able to bridge the gap between parent and buddy, and shaped me into the woman I’m happy to be today!

Jae
on December 1, 2010 at 11:15 am

Best Christmas present I ever got was this CD-Burner that came with a Diamond Rio MP3 player. I was the only guy in school with an MP3 player and I often had to explain what it did exactly. Everyone would perk up around the time I told them that “It doesn’t skip when you shake it.”

By the way, the storage size for that MP3 player was….64 MB.

Donna Case
on December 1, 2010 at 11:31 am

Best gift ever…kind of a delux baking gift box from the hubby. Assorted ggodies including: french rolling pin, Wusthoff bread knife, big bag of antique copper cookie cutters, and some Ramones and Clash CD’s to replace my vinyl…
What a day it was!!!

My best present ever is my chihuahua Krush3r. I have always had pets my entire life and when I moved out for the first time with a boyfriend and some roommates I was getting depressed without any animals around. We bought gerbils and named them after Star Wars characters but that didn’t cut it. So on my birthday my then boyfriend told me he would buy me a dog, even though he was allergic. I got to go to the breeder’s house and pick him out and fell in love immediately. He has been through a lot, like somebody leaving my door open and him getting hit by a car. But an emergency vet visit and a road trip to Indianapolis for tiny dog hip surgery have gotten him back to running around and tearing up toys.
Also, we made him a myspace a long time ago complete with a Flash game I made where you can dress him up…http://www.myspace.com/xkrush3rx/

And the obligatory stand mixer story…Last year I unwrapped a huge heavy box at my parent’s house to see a box for a KitchenAid mixer. I had been asking for one since I was 10 or so and had made no mention of it that year because money was tight. I stopped and asked my mother “Is that really what is in the box? Or did you just find the box to one to fuck with me?” because that is something our family would do. She told me to find out for myself. It turned out to be the real deal and I was super shocked.

Tiffany
on December 1, 2010 at 12:05 pm

This year I got Bose noise cancelling headphones which is great since I’m a noise freak and s[end a lot of time on the bus.

i’m obsessed with unicorns, specifically bunnies riding on them. so, the guy i’m seeing bought me one of those pillow pals, and it’s a big squishy purple unicorn. AND! he got me a really cute sanrio bunny, and he made a saddle and put it on the unicorn! whoa! plus, he bought me one of those weird horsies on a stick, and it’s a unicorn. i was so excited, i may just have to ride around the house on that.

Best gift ever… Hmmm well it’s going to sound cheesy but thats ok I like cheese. So I’d have to say that the best gift I’ve ever received would have to be my husband. Yeah it’s not really anything that can be wrapped in a bow and put under a tree although that would be great to see him pop out of box on Christmas morning!

Anita Jane
on December 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Ah yes, and… the best Christmas present I received, that I can recall, was my record player, a gift from my parents. Yes, that was only about 10 years ago, but it gave me tons of pleasure because I got to listen to all my parents’ old Beatles LPs and comb the $1 bins at the used record store for the cheesiest, most ridiculous pop and hair metal I could find – being able to get a kick out of something for under $5 when you’re a high school student is a big deal. Having to turn over the records also kept me alert when I was up late studying for exams – built-in study breaks.

My family hasn’t been much for large-scale gift-giving in recent years because so many of us have to travel long distances to be together on holidays, and sometimes the best present is just getting to go out to California and spend time with them.

Patrice
on December 1, 2010 at 9:11 pm

The best gift I ever received was a manger/nativity made by my brother-in-law from the wood from the fence of my childhood home. I cried for days. <3

I’d have to say the best gift I ever got would be my original Nintendo when I was like 5 ish. Lol nothing beats the original Nintendo lol.

Amy
on December 2, 2010 at 12:47 am

My most memorable present was a great computer when my pos one died and I really needed one to finish out my first year of college. It was Christmas, birthday, new year all wrapped up in one, and it saved my ass 🙂

Shelly
on December 2, 2010 at 5:27 am

My best gift was when my husband bought me a replica of Arwen’s Evenstar (from Lord of the Rings) for Christmas. He hid it in a Boo (from Monster’s Inc) lunch box. I was already happy enough about the Boo lunch box, but was shocked when I found that beautiful necklace inside!

The best gift I ever received was a Baby Alive when I was a little girl in the 1970s. I wanted that thing so badly. Yay, Santa!

Jennifer
on December 2, 2010 at 5:34 am

The best gift I ever got was finding out I didn’t have cancer. It runs in my family so when I developed a lump I knew I had to get it checked out. It grew to the size of a large grape before they biopsied it (while I was awake. Nothing like the smell of your own flesh being cauterized) and even as I was being sewn up the surgeon said he was almost positive it was cancer. They sent it off to the lab and 2 weeks before Christmas I got the results. No cancer!! Best Christmas ever.

I can’t believe that this is my first time on this site. It’s so awesome! It would be great to win this prize, but I still just wanted to leave a comment to tell you how awesome this is.

Elizabeth Perez
on December 2, 2010 at 7:49 am

Congrats on four years of making your awesomeness known world wide!

Looking back at all my Christmas’ past, the one gift that stands out the most is a 61 key Casio Keyboard my parents got me when I was 8. Hands down best gift ever! I tought myself how to read and play music with it. Not only that but with the headphones plugged into it I could totally jam out without my parental units yelling at me to turn down the volume. Hands down…BEST GIFT EVARRRRR!

I have never wanted something so badly in my life. I seriously NEED one of those gummy bears ASAP.

Jenny
on December 2, 2010 at 1:54 pm

Best gift ever- my first “real” set of pots and pans as well as a “real” set of silverware from my parents. They sent down a set of Revere cookware, via USPS, across three states. Can’t imagine the cost to ship that package. I still have the set, minus one lid, 10 years later. I also still use the silverware everyday.

Okay, I know I already posted my favorite Xmas gift, but I just felt like I had more to say. I really want to win the Logan Square Kitchen gift bag. I am at stuck at home with a broken foot. I won’t be able to be on both of my feet again or drive until after Xmas. Which means; NO BAKING THIS XMAS!!! I am going nuts. I have no Xmas treats in my house and I am really jones’n for some!!!

If it weren’t for the internet, there would be “No Presents For Christmas” either!!! (get the King Diamond reference? haha)

Jen
on December 2, 2010 at 2:02 pm

I love your blog. I wish you had some hoodies with the new logo. I received your last hoodie for a gift. I’ve pretty much worn it out. It’s falling apart and has faded all funky. :o( My boyfriend got it for me. He was so excited that he had me open it, before any other presents. I squealed and put it on right away.

Awesome holiday guide. I could wax poetic on the best gift. hands down black as sin kitchen aide stand mixer (from my mommy and daddy) I use my magic cloth to lovingly wax it like a car. or what I would imagine would be a car…i take public transportation and never waxed a train.

Tater
on December 2, 2010 at 3:21 pm

I already commented a few days ago…but my dog not dying and my boyfriend being awesome and gifting me Dia De Los Muertos molds and goods, are still the best gifts (other than free deliciousness) that a lady could ask for! 🙂

Rachael
on December 2, 2010 at 3:21 pm

Oh so cheesy but I would have to say my kids. 🙂

The best present I ever received was a dress from my husband that I mentioned in passing that I liked. He drove to the neighboring town where had been and stood on the street corner with a sign (we were very poor then) for eight hours to get it for me. The sign said “Please help me get my girlfriend a Valentine’s Day present”. No one could resist and I couldn’t either – we’ve been married for 4 years. 😉

Lisa
on December 2, 2010 at 4:03 pm

Okay, best present as a kid… Incredible Edibles and Creepy Crawlers. Giving a kid a “toy” that heated metal up to molten levels… pouring the goo into the mold to bake them into edible worms and spiders… having to use metal hooks to lift them out of the machine and burning your fingertips off (yes I could be in a witness protection program easily) and then picking them out of the molds … not waiting until they cooled down… and throwing them at each other on Xmas day! Heaven….

Best gift ever, my 1963 Rambler that my boyfriend helped me by as a birthday present. I found the car and fell in love and my boyfriend thought it would be a great idea to tell me that someone else bought it in hopes of surprising me but then I cried a lot because I was so bummed and he started laughing and said I already bought it babe. Hahah, I wish I had a kitchen aid mixer though like everyone else but my small walmart mixer works just as well :)<3

Lisa
on December 2, 2010 at 7:56 pm

This is my boyfriend and I’s first holiday together living together. He is jewish and I really wanted to combined traditions. In gifts, in celebrations and in food. Saturday I will make my 2st Challah French Toast!

michelledammit
on December 2, 2010 at 7:56 pm

best gift EVER, was my silpat baking mat thingy,holy crap that thing was a miracle,no more parchment,no more sticking,and i use it daily.

A Sit-n-Spin….at age 35!! Best gift EVER!!!! I was not allowed to have one when I was a kid because my mom was afraid of the projectile well…you know what. For the past 30 years at Christmas I would explain to her how this psychologically damaged me…so finally she caved.
(p.s. – not a good idea to use after a few glasses of wine. Now I know why I never had one. HAHAHAH!!)

p.s. – AWESOME blog and cool gift guide. 😉

Darlene
on December 2, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Best gift eva-kitchenaid from hubby. That gummy bear is hilarious!

Elaine
on December 2, 2010 at 8:19 pm

Hmmm…best gift… My Vitamix! And other than material things, just being here & being healthy is a great gift!

Gail V
on December 2, 2010 at 8:32 pm

The Grease Soundtrack – but the story of why is much better. My brother and I have NEVER exchanged gifts for anything, kind of an unwritten rule. He is 2 years older and was way too cool for me back when we were kids. Anyway, out of the blue (one would not think out of the blue since it was my b-day), he gave me a small package and it was the Grease Soundtrack. I was stunned (and feeling guilty since I never gave him a darn thing). Well, that really changed our relationship forever. I mean, we still never give gifts to eachother, but we’re tight, even now miles apart and with our own families, no one can make us laugh like we make eachother laugh! Gosh, I got totally sappy on that one!

Sara
on December 2, 2010 at 8:54 pm

So I thought of another bestest gift ever…. i got a brand new pair of wells. Went to try them on immediately, of course, only to find a box tucked in the toe. No not a ring, but a fantastic hand made tiny white gold and pave skull and crossbones necklace with ruby eyes…. They are all three good eggs… The man, the skull, and the boots ! 😉

Natasha phillips
on December 2, 2010 at 9:00 pm

The BEST Christmas gift I ever received was the beautiful bedroom set my mummy got me! She saved and saved for so long!! Nothing beats a great nights sleep. Love my mom!

Lisanne
on December 2, 2010 at 9:18 pm

A faux-gilded two drawer jewelry box with a birdcage on top. A little bird sat on a wire which swung back and forth when you opened the bottom drawer to Somewhere My Love (Lara’s Theme) from Dr. Zhivago. I loved that jewelry box! It’s been gone for ages but I am always on the lookout to find one similar.

Oh, and the best Christmas present that I ever got was from my dear husband who surprised me with front row, center tickets to see Ricky Martin almost 10 years ago when the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” craze was going on. Lol!! =)

Crystal
on December 2, 2010 at 10:51 pm

Does the giant gummy bear come in chocolate covered cinnamon?? If so, THAT would be the best gift ever for my bff! Ooooh..I hope so!

So, uhm.. Hmm.. The best thing I’ve ever recieved?? My KIDS of course! Second to that, I guess it’d have to be the ‘gift of life’ when I was cured of cancer =). Oh, and third place would have to go to the hand carved organ grinding monkey that my bff gave me a few years ago.